One of Those Days
by Reefgirl
Summary: 100 First Lines ChallengeFic from WPBA forum. The day had started so well, now Major Lorne and Dr Stirling are having the day they would rather forget. LorneOC. Story number 50. Final Chapter is up
1. That Girl Was No Good For Me

Rating: T

Spoilers: Sunday

Pairings: Lorne/OC

Summary: It had begun so well, now he found himself in prison and shackled to the city's astronomer

Disclaimer: Don't own any of it apart from Dr Delilah Stirling

Authors Notes: Yet another 100 First sentences challenge this one is #114: The day had begun so normally... also the story I promised Nici from Gateworld.

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The day had begun so normally, Major Evan Lorne sighed and winced at the pain in his wrists; he was beginning to realise that time spent with the city's astronomer was _anything_ but normal; at this particular moment in time they were shackled back to back. It was supposed to have been a routine 'body guarding' mission, accompanying his friend Dr Delilah Stirling to M9J-427 to study a meteor shower, what they didn't know was that in-between gaining permission to visit the planet and them actually stepping through the gate there had been a coup. Therefore, instead of the Royal Scientific Advisor greeting them they had been met by a platoon of soldiers with guns trained on them.

"I spy with my little eye something beginning with W," said Dr Stirling

"Wall" replied Lorne, Delilah sighed

"Yes, your turn" she replied

"This isn't helping Lilah" Evan remarked

"I know but it passes the time" Lilah chuckled "it's not like it's the first time", she said.

"You've been shackled and thrown in prison before?" he asked, Lilah laughed

"Not at the same time, and the shackles were handcuffs and the prison was a police cell, spent the night banged up for being drunk and disorderly on Boat Race night" she explained

"And the handcuffs?" he asked. Lilah smirked to herself

"Another story for another time" she replied

"Spoilsport" he said.

* * *

His friendship with Delilah Stirling had started with the death of his friend Major Chris Harper; he'd been avoiding Kate Heightmeyer and had hidden in the astronomy lab, where Lilah had found him drowning his sorrows in Bourbon. She'd sat and talked to him, offering up advice from her own experiences after the death of her twin sister and he'd been grateful to her for telling it like it was and not patronizing him as Heightmeyer had. They had been friends ever since, finding out along the way that they shared a love of painting and practical jokes, the last series of pranks they'd played had been blamed on John Sheppard so they were laying low and planning the next set. She'd confessed to him how much she'd missed playing tricks, her sister had always been the brains behind them and it had been down to her to sweet-talk them out of trouble when they'd been busted, Lorne had laughed and said he supposed that having an actress for a mother had its uses.

* * *

"So now what?" asked Lilah 

"Wait for Sheppard and his eleventh hour rescue I suppose, they'll know something's wrong by now, we should have reported in an hour ago" replied Evan,

"That's comforting, sick bay here we come again, remember the last time Sheppard and co got me out of trouble? I was in plaster for six weeks" she retorted

"What do you suggest then?" he said

"Pick the locks, I know you can do it" she replied. Evan sighed

"In case you've forgotten I can't reach my other wrist" he moved his arm to prove his point, causing Lilah's arm to jerk over her shoulder "and I have nothing to pick it with, unless you've got hairpins" he said.

"Do I look like Miss Marple, hairpins!! I ask you" she paused and thought for a minute "ok Raffles, if I get you a piece of wire can you pick the locks on the door too?" Lilah asked, Lorne shrugged

"I can try" he replied. Lilah moved her hand causing Evan's arm to jerk around her

"Erm... slight snag, I can't reach" she groaned and rested her head on her knees "I need to be facing you for this to work", Lorne tested the 'give' in the shackles

"Ok, when I say so, raise your arms over your head and twist round if it works we'll be facing each other, it'll take a layer or two of skin off your wrists" he said,

"Ok" Lilah said

"Now" he said. Lilah raised her arms twisted around and sat up on her knees

"Ow, fuck that hurt" she groaned. Evan grimaced

"Yeah, can we get on with this, I wanna get out" he retorted, Lilah sighed

"Keep your hand very, very still and you and me won't fall out" she smirked "well you won't but me, just don't ask me to run anywhere" Evan frowned at her. She took a deep breath "here goes" she said and thrust their hands up her shirt and began to pull the wire in her bra out,

"What the hell you doing?" said Lorne, not that he minded having his hand up her shirt but some warning would have been nice

"You wanted wire, the laundry is late coming back and this was the only one I had left" Lilah said as a means of explanation, she pulled the wire out and handed it to him

"You could have said something" he said as he got to work

"And miss the look on your face besides, knowing you, you'd have got in a quick grope" she said with a smile. He grinned

"Me? Would I do something like that?" he said with a look of mock innocence on his face

"Yes" she replied. He got the first shackle free and went to work on the second

"So is there a special breaking and entering course you Air Force guys go on?" Lilah asked

"No, I could do this before I joined" he replied

"Are you going to tell me?" she said

"I'll tell you when you tell me about the handcuffs" he said

"Meanie" she retorted.

* * *

He opened the second set of shackles and started to work on the door 

"It's no good, I can't get it to open with this" Evan admitted

"Would the other one help?" Lilah asked, he shook his head

"No, the lock's too big" he said

"And the window's too small" she remarked. Lorne looked up as an idea struck him

"Scream" he said

"You what?" she retorted

"Scream, call for help, cry rape, anything to get a guard up here" he said

"Are you sure?" she asked

"Yes, just get on with it" he replied. Lilah opened a few buttons on her shirt and ran her fingers through her hair

"Got to make it look authentic" she remarked

"Go on" he said. She began to hammer on the door

"Help!! Help me he's attacking me, help me!!" she screamed. They could hear the sound of running feet and keys in the lock, Lorne braced himself as the door opened.

**TBC

* * *

**

**AN:** And the New Story Bunnies keep on biting, this is going to take a few chapters to finish but it won't be too long, so now the explanations

Boat Race - The Oxford/Cambridge Varsity rowing race on the Thames in March. Little Known Fact: Hugh Laurie was a Cambridge Rowing Blue

Raffles - A.J Raffles, Gentleman thief and amateur cracksman and his sidekick 'Bunny' were created in literature by EW Hornung.


	2. As She Decieved me

The guard came bursting through the door and stopped abruptly as the sight of Dr Delilah Stirling with her shirt at half-mast met him.

"What the..." he said but got no further as Major Evan Lorne slammed the door into him, knocking him off balance, Lilah grabbed his head and rammed it into the ground, knocking him out.

"Nice move" Lorne said approvingly as he started to remove the guard's weapon and uniform

"Thanks, if you're surrounded by men with wandering hands all day you learn to fight dirty" Lilah looked at Lorne who was changing into the guards uniform "what _are_ you doing?" she asked. Lorne pointed at himself

"Guard" then he pointed at her "prisoner being taken for questioning" he said

"Fair enough, what do we do when we get out, they took our GDO's" she replied.

"Gate to one of our allies and go from there I guess, Mederina, I've been there several times and the Sanctuary Sisters know me well" he said. Lilah nodded

"Ok, sounds like a good plan to me" she said as Lorne grabbed her arm and led her out of the cell.

"Good move with the shirt" he said

"Advice given to my sister on her first day at the Royal Opera Company, 'If things are going pear shaped flash your tits', she never used it on stage but it did get her out of trouble several times" she replied. Evan rolled his eyes

"I'll bet," he muttered as they started down the corridor.

* * *

"How long are Major Lorne and Dr Stirling overdue now?" asked Dr Elizabeth Weir

"Three hours Ma'am" said Chuck the Canadian Technician

"Have you tried to contact them?" she said

"Yes Ma'am, twice" said Chuck

"Try and contact the Royal Court, see what's happened and I'll appraise Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKay of the situation" she replied

"Yes Ma'am" said Chuck as he started to dial the planet.

* * *

"Where are you going?" said a voice, Lorne and Stirling stopped dead in their tracks

"Interrogation sir" said Lorne to the officer who stood in front of them

"By whose orders" said the officer. Evan started to pat his pocket's hoping to find something, playing for time Lilah smiled sweetly at the officer

"Can I just say how impressed I am by your man here, he came to my rescue after I was attacked by that excuse of an officer a was captured with" said Lilah

"What happened?" he asked, not taking his eyes off her heaving chest.

"Well, he...you know...jumped on me, I mean there is a time and a place for everything, but prison, how tacky is that, now a real man would have started slowly and worked his way up" she said simpering. Lorne kicked her ankle

"I can't seem to find the paperwork, my superior asked me to take care of her," said Lorne, the officer smiled at Lilah

"I'll take care of the interrogation, I have a few things to attend to just now but bring her to me in an hour," he said.

* * *

As Evan and Lilah turned the corner, they let out sighs

"That was close," said Lilah

"No kidding and thanks for making me sound like an asshole" Evan replied

"It was your idea" she retorted

"How did you know it would work, how could you be sure he wouldn't drag you off to his room there and then" he asked

"I didn't" she admitted, "I was buying time, hoping you had a plan". Lorne rolled his eyes

"Come on, we've got to get to the gate before your 'Date'" he said.

* * *

As they neared the gate, they could hear alarms ringing

"Now what" said Lilah

"There's a village about a mile away from here, we'll hide there," said Evan

"But it'll be crawling with soldiers" she replied

"You got a better idea?" he asked

"No" she said

"So move your ass," he said as they broke into a run. 'Oh yeah' he thought 'this day just gets better and better'.


	3. Why, Why, Why

Ratings, Summery, Spoilers, Disclaimers et al, same as Ch 1

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They slipped into the village un-noticed,

"So now what?" asked Dr Delilah Stirling. Major Evan Lorne quickly assessed the situation they were in and groaned

"We're screwed" he replied, Lilah sighed and glared at Lorne

"Great plan of yours" she snapped

"You got a better idea?" he retorted

"We've got to get out of here," she said

"I know that, but how?" he replied. They were hiding an alleyway between a row of houses that reminded Lilah of that grim Catherine Cookson drama her mother had appeared in, she peered over walls and through fences, she grinned as she saw something that would help

"In here" she said as she slipped into the yard of a house. Lorne followed, all he could see was laundry on the line and Lilah pulling garments off,

"You can't do that" he said

"You got a better idea?" mimicked Lilah, he shook his head and began to change clothes for the third time that day. Lilah caught sight of herself in some glass, she was dressed in a long black dress and black bonnet

"Good God I look like Grandma Giles" she said, Evan smirked

"I heard the Amish look was big around here" he said with a laugh. He didn't look too bad dressed in 'Peasant' clothing, Lilah thought she'd got the worst deal as Evan was try hard not to laugh at the 'Victorian' clothes she'd been forced to wear,

"At least we can blend in now but I am _not_ going back through the gate to Atlantis looking like this" she said, Lorne couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.

* * *

They left the yard and ventured into the village, which was crawling with soldiers looking for them. Lilah stiffened and kept close to Evan, her bravado was beginning to wear a little thin

"Relax, try to look like you belong here otherwise you'll give us away" he said.

"I can't help it, I keep thinking we'll get so close and then we'll trip up or something" she replied

"All we have to do is get to the gate and we'll be ok" he said

"I know but this day hasn't exactly been one of the best so far" she said with a smile.

"Could have been worse, you could have been stuck with Sheppard and McKay" he replied, Lilah laughed

"I'd have thrown myself into the arms of that officer in the prison and pleaded with him to kill me" she said. A soldier stepped in front of them

"We are looking for two strangers, one dressed in our military uniform one dressed in the uniform of the Lantean's" he said

"Haven't seen anyone like that" said Lorne

"I have" Lilah gave Lorne a 'play along with me' look "while you were talking to the stall holder, they looked like they were heading out of the village" she said.

"Which direction?" the soldier asked, Lilah pointed

"That way" she said. The soldier looked a little more closely at them

"I have not seen you here" he said

"No, we're not from around here, we're travelling to the gate to see the Sisters of Meredina" said Lorne as he nudged Lilah, who started to cough.

"Your wife is unwell? Said the soldier as Lilah coughed more violently at the reference to her being Evan's wife "why did she not see one of our physicians?"

"She did, they recommended she see the Sisters as they haven't seen her symptoms before" Lorne explained

"Please let me get to the Sister's I don't want to start an epidemic" said Lilah as she stepped up closer to the soldier. He backed away from her with his hand over his mouth

"Be on your way" he said.

* * *

They began to walk swiftly towards the Gate,

"Thank God there's no Priest on Atlantis or I'd be in confession for a fortnight, it's been one lie after another" Lilah said

"Yeah and the truth would have killed us, keep moving" replied Evan.

They managed to convince the guard at the gate to let them dial Mederina and they stepped through the gate. When they came through to Mederina, they knew their day had just become a little worse.

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**AN:** Catherine Cookson writes gritty Northern (England) dramas, that I can't stand. Several have been televised.

Grandma Giles was the battleaxe matriarch of the 'Giles Family' cartoons created by the late Carl Giles for the Daily Express. A little 'broad as she was tall' fearsome woman dressed all in black, carrying a shopping bag and an umbrella. Google Carl Giles and have a look at some of his cartoons, I always loved them.


	4. I Just Couldn't Take Any More

Ratings, Summery, Spoilers, Disclaimers et al, same as Ch 1 except Dr Bec Thompson, Albert Johnson and Jason Wage belong to Cap10

Author's Notes: I have no idea what I'm talking about with earthquakes so forgive me if I don't get it quite right.

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When they stepped through the gate Major Evan Lorne and Dr Delilah Stirling couldn't believe their luck, there was pandemonium in the streets, buildings had collapsed and dead and wounded were lying where they'd fallen.

"What the fuck happened here?" said Major Lorne

"Wraith?" asked Dr Stirling, Lorne shook his head

"No, they keep the gate open so no-one can escape, besides there's no darts" he replied. Evan spotted a woman in robes heading towards the gate

"Sister Vree" he called, the woman turned at the sound of his voice

"Major Lorne, I was just going to call Atlantis for assistance" she replied

"What's happened?" asked Lilah

"The tremors have come earlier than expected and they are much stronger this time, but what about you why are you dressed as a Grondan married couple?" Sister Vree replied. Lorne sighed

"It's a long story, but first I need to contact Atlantis and I've lost my identity device," he said, Sister Vree handed hers over and he began to dial, he looked around for Lilah and saw her helping another of the sisters tend the wounded.

* * *

"Incoming wormhole, no IDC yet" called out Chuck, Elizabeth came running out of her office with John Sheppard and Rodney McKay "it's the Mederinain's, audio and visual"

"Ok let's hear what Sister Vree has to say," replied Elizabeth, Chuck punched the image up on screen. Instead of Sister Vree, Major Lorne's face appeared

"Major! What are you doing on Mederina, what's happening there?" asked Elizabeth as she could hear panic in the background

"No time to explain, we need to evacuate these folks to the city, earthquakes have struck again and they're worse than ever according to Sister Vree" said Lorne

"Tell the sisters we'll do everything we can, close the gate and we'll send people though to help with the wounded and evacuations," said Elizabeth as John was already calling for teams to gear up

"Thank you Ma'am I'll pass that on" Evan replied. The image began to shake violently and screams could be heard from behind Lorne "you need to hurry, I don't think it'll be safe here for much longer", the voice of Dr Stirling could be heard over the radio

"Major look out, the gate's going"" she yelled. Lorne looked up and then back to the screen

"Too late" he said before the screen went blank.

* * *

There was a stunned silence on the control balcony as the events sunk in,

"We need to get to Mederina ASAP," said Sheppard

"Are you nuts, you saw what happened" retorted Rodney

"Sergeant, dial again" said Elizabeth. Chuck tried again and once more

"Nothing Ma'am, the gate's more than likely been destroyed" he replied

"We can't leave them plus Lorne and Stirling are trapped there" said John.

"I agree, they've asked us for help and we will render assistance" Elizabeth replied as she tapped her earpiece "Colonel Caldwell"

"Caldwell here" came the reply

"Mederina has been hit by earthquakes and we believe their stargate has been destroyed, also Major Lorne and Dr Stirling are trapped there, we need the Daedalus to help with evacuations" said Elizabeth.

"Ok, but I'm going to need more information" Caldwell replied

"Beam down and I'm sure Rodney can come up with what you need" said Elizabeth, Rodney rolled his eyes and muttered about God and eleventh hour rescues, Elizabeth tapped her earpiece again

"Dr Thompson" she said

"Yes Dr Weir" came Bec Thompson's reply

"Mederina is suffering severe earthquakes and the Daedalus is having to evacuate them as their stargate has been destroyed, can you bring all your information on the planet to the conference room please" said Elizabeth

"Give us five minutes and we'll be there" replied Bec.

* * *

Lorne picked himself up off of the ground and shook the dust out of his hair, he'd come frighteningly close to being flattened by the falling stargate, others hadn't been so lucky, he took the hand that Lilah offered him

"We're royally screwed aren't we?" she said quietly

"I don't know, they will come for us in the Daedalus, Sheppard will make sure of that but..." he admitted

"But?" asked Lilah

"I don't like this, it doesn't feel right" Lilah looked questioningly at him "I started my air force career as an engineer, I specialised in mining operations so I know a bit about geology and seismic activity and this is bad" he said.

"Some of the people here have been saying this is the third major quake in as many days, now what I know about earthquakes you can write on the back of a stamp but even I know that's not the norm" Lilah said, Lorne nodded

"Depending how long it takes the Daedalus to get here..." he began

"It may be too late, is that what you're trying to say, the planet could break up?" she asked. Evan shook his head

"No but it won't be fit to live on, that smell" Lilah sniffed the air and nodded" that's Sulphur and it's being released through the cracks in the surface, now if this is happening all over the planet and according to Sister Vree the tremors are a planet wide thing..."he said

"Then the atmosphere is being poisoned" finished Lilah. Lorne nodded

"And there have been three big quakes over the last few days so yeah the atmosphere is being poisoned" he said

"How long do you think we have?" asked Lilah. Evan shrugged

"I have no idea, a couple of days maybe longer if there are no more quakes" he said

"Do we tell Sister Vree?" she asked

"I think she knows" he replied as they moved off to help move the wounded back to the sanctuary.

* * *

In the Atlantis briefing room Colonel Steven Caldwell as well as Dr Rebecca 'Bec' Thompson, Dr Albert Johnson and Dr Jason Wage from the HOG team had joined Elizabeth, John and Rodney.

"So there you have it, Mederina has been suffering severe earthquakes which have destroyed the stargate trapping Major Lorne and Dr Stirling on the planet, we need to rescue them and what I don't have is a time scale, that is where you come in," Elizabeth said to the HOG team "I know you've studied the planet". Bec nodded to Albert

"Well as far as we can make out the whole planet is like one giant San Andreas fault, the tectonic plates are constantly shifting and the more they shift the more unstable they become," he said

"So the planet could break up?" remarked John

"Eventually but not in the next few days at any rate, but with all the gases building up and escaping into the atmosphere they population will be long gone before that happens" Albert replied.

"From what the Sanctuary Sisters were able to tell us from their records the intensity of the quakes has been growing over the last millennia. In fact over the last century a lot of the planets urban areas have been destroyed, those that didn't flee through the gate settled around the sanctuary by the gate, according to the records," said Bec.

"From the soil and rock samples I gathered I can agree with Bec's assessment, these quakes could be" Jason Wage made air quotes "'The Big One', the one that signals the beginning of the end" he said. The group was silent for a moment

"We've got to go, these people need us and I'm not leaving Lorne and Stirling there to die," said John

"I agree, Rodney what do you have for us" said Elizabeth. McKay stood in front of the big screen.

"It's going to take the Daedalus seventy two hours to get there but we can cut it down to thirty six _if_ we tie the ZedPM into their power systems," he said

"But we'd be unprotected" said John.

"The Wraith are no-where to be seen, the long range sensors would have picked them up if they were coming," replied Rodney

"I won't be able to fit everyone on board" said Caldwell "and we won't have enough time to keep ferrying them to and from Atlantis". Rodney smirked

"I've already thought of that there's an unoccupied planet in the same system" he prodded a part of the screen which enlarged "which has a gate, if the Daedalus packs as many people in as it can and ferry them to this planet, then we evacuate them to Atlantis via the gate," said Rodney. Caldwell nodded, approving the plan.

"Your call Dr Weir" he said, Elizabeth thought for a moment

"I agree, take the ZPM and go help the Mederinian's


	5. I Went Out of My Mind

Ratings, Summery, Spoilers, and Disclaimers et al, same as Ch 1 except Dr Bec Thomson, Albert Johnson and Jason Wage belong to Cap10

Author's Notes: Thanks to Cap10 for the info on earthquakes

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Two days after they'd been stranded on Mederina when the planet's stargate had been destroyed in an earthquake, Major Evan Lorne and Dr Delilah Stirling were taking refuge in the Sanctuary and trying to help out where ever they could, but it was turning out to be too little too late. Lorne had managed to contact Atlantis before the gate was destroyed and he was sure that the Daedalus was on its way but more earthquakes had struck and now you couldn't stay outside for more than an hour before you became sick, it was becoming a race against time.

Lilah was sitting on the floor in an enclosed walkway, the bench had been taken to use as a bed long ago, and she was now wearing a long cotton shift that Sister Vree had given her as the dress she'd stolen back on Gronda had been used as emergency dressing's days ago. Lilah had made herself useful by taking care of the children and Lorne had joined one of the repair gangs trying to get the Sanctuary back into some kind of working order. Her head snapped up at the sound of someone calling her name

"Sister Vree" she said

"Delilah" she replied in greeting

"How are things?" asked Lilah

"Difficult" admitted Sister Vree "in the past we have always been able to evacuate the majority of our people to one of our neighbours but now...". Lilah squeezed her hand and wondered who listened to Sister Vree's fears and worries, as if sensing her thoughts the sister smiled "I am not afraid and neither are my colleagues, we have devoted our lives to the Ancestors and they will reward us, I am just sorry you cannot escape our fate. Lilah considered her words

"I've been living on borrowed time since I came to this galaxy, I should be dead three times over it's just...I'm worried about what it will do to my family. We've only just got over the death of my sister and now they'll get a visit from the US Air Force saying I'm dead but they can't tell them where, why or how" said Lilah bitterly, the sister squeezed her hand

"Maybe this is part of some plan of the Ancestors, to renew faith, I know some of our people have been having doubts, the Ancestor's work in ways we are un-used to" said Sister Vree. Lilah smiled

"We have a saying like that 'God moves in mysterious ways' maybe you're right, maybe this is some big cosmic test of faith but I just wish they wouldn't use earthquakes" said Lilah. Sister Vree smiled

"If it was easy it wouldn't be a test," she replied

"Touché" replied Lilah

"Now what I really came to say was thank you for your help with the children, we really didn't expect you to take care of them as you are our guests," said the Sister.

"I couldn't just sit here and do nothing, all your sister's were needed to look after the wounded and I'm used to it, I would sometimes take care of my nieces". Sister Vree looked puzzled "oh, my sister's daughters, if she was on tour, she was a professional singer and when she and her husband died I became their guardian. They're adults now and at university Katie is studying music, she wants to be a singer like her mother and Lili is studying the Myths and Folklore of our world," said Lilah with a smile. Sister Vree smiled and patted her hand, her job was done, and the Lantean woman had found a little comfort in the dark hours. They both turned their heads at the sound of footsteps

"The power is back and so is the water supply," said Major Lorne

"Thank you, thank you both for your assistance" said Sister Vree

"I'm glad I could help," said Evan with faint embarrassment. Sister Vree bowed her head and left to carry on with her rounds

"I already told her we wouldn't sit around and watch while others kept this place running," said Lilah with a shrug as Evan sat down beside her

"So what was she doing here?" he asked her

"Doing what she does best". He knew she wasn't going to say anymore, he knew her well enough by now to know not to push when she clammed up. "How long do you think we have left?" she asked as she laid her head on his shoulder

"A couple of days before the atmosphere is completely poisoned and after that, I don't know, it depends on how long the Sanctuary can stay standing" he put his arm around her "there is still a chance the Daedalus can get here" he said. Lilah shook her head

"Stop deluding yourself, I've had a look at the star charts in the sanctuary's library and I've worked out that it's going to take them seventy two hours at maximum warp or whatever it is they measure their engine capacity in to get here. It's been thirty five since we last contacted Atlantis, even if they did get here in time everybody is not going to be able to fit on board and by the time they've dropped off those people and come back, there's going to be no-one left" she said.

"Sheppard is not going to leave us here," said Lorne

"Could you live with yourself knowing you jumped into the lifeboat first?" she asked, Evan sighed

"No, I couldn't" he replied.

* * *

**Daedalus Bridge**

"Coming up on Mederina now sir" said pilot Major Emma Cooper

"Take us into the atmosphere,"" replied Colonel Steven Caldwell

"Wow, that's pretty toxic" said Dr Jason Wage consulting notes on his laptop "it's increased...God knows how much since we were last here"

"It looks like a couple of new Slip Strike faults have formed, that accounts for the increased seismic activity" said Dr Albert Johnson "we've got to get down there and study this". Caldwell looked unimpressed

"I can't let you, you said yourself that the atmosphere is toxic" he replied

"Albert's a vulcanologist, he knows more about toxic atmosphere's than anyone else on board, anyway this is probably the last opportunity we'll get to study the death throws of a planet and it is the reason we hitched a lift" said Dr Bec Thomson

"Ok but stay in constant radio contact, I want to be able to beam you back as soon as there's any problem". Bec nodded and Caldwell tapped his earpiece "Colonel Sheppard can you arrange a detail to accompany Dr Thomson and her team to the surface" said Caldwell

"Yes sir" came the reply

* * *

The sound of a surprised scream woke Lorne, he groped for his weapon before realising he didn't have one, Lilah woke with a start as he moved

"What's going on?" she asked. Evan put his finger to his lips

"I heard something", he listened intently for a couple of beats and then he broke into a grin "I'd recognise that whine anywhere, it's McKay" he said as he pulled Lilah to her feet. They rounded a corner and came across Sheppard, McKay Ronon and Teyla

"What the hell happened to you two?" asked Sheppard

"Don't ask" they both replied. Looking over Sheppard's shoulder Teyla spied Sister Vree coming towards them

"Thank the Ancestors, I am so happy to see you Colonel Sheppard but how did you get here" she asked

"And it's good to know you are still here Sister, we came by ship" he replied

"We should start getting groups together, our ship is going to ferry you to an uninhabited planet in this system with a ring and from there you will go to Atlantis," said Teyla

"Aye an' I've got a team of medics standin' by to help with yer wounded," said Carson. Sister Vree breathed out

"Thank you, please come with me to our infirmary", she said as Teyla, Ronon and Carson followed.

"So why are you here?" asked Sheppard

"Well we started off in prison," said Lorne

"We escaped by using the wire in my bra to pick the shackle locks, I then played the damsel in distress to get the guards to unlock the door" said Lilah

"I punched his lights out, she made several promises to the warder to get us out of an interrogation" Lorne replied. Sheppard rolled his eyes and Rodney sighed in exasperation

"We made our way to the village where we stole someone's clothes off the line" Sheppard's eyes widened "oh no not this, this is a nun's underwear, that dress was something from the Amish collection" Lilah replied as Lorne laughed.

"I don't wanna know anymore, I'll read the report," said Sheppard,

"We need to get a move on, I've just had a report from Dr Thomson, she says Seismic activity is increasing and another big quake is due in a few hours" said Rodney.

* * *

**Daedalus Mess Hall**

"Sister" said Lilah, Sister Vree looked around

"Just taking a last look at my home," she said

"I'm so sorry" Lilah replied

"Please, don't be we knew we would have to leave one day when the tremor became too severe but not quite so soon" said Sister Vree. She sighed as the ship entered hyperspace

"You know I think you were right all along, what you said back in the Sanctuary about this being some kind of cosmic plan of the Ancestors," Lilah said. Sister Vree smiled

"I'm sure it was and I'm sure we've all learned something from it, I know I have," she said

"I do hope we've passed," said Lilah. Sister Vree turned at the sound of Major Lorne entering and smiled to herself

"I don't think it is quite over yet, for some of us at least", she said, "please excuse me, I have a meeting with Teyla and your Colonel Sheppard", she said as she swept out

"What was all that about?" Evan asked, Lilah shrugged

"I have _no_ idea, she said something about this being part of some cosmic plan of the Ancients" she replied

"God only knows what they're planning," he said"

* * *

A couple of days later, after Dr Beckett had released them from the infirmary and their reports had been written, Lilah was sitting in the TV room with a large box in front of her. It was a parcel from her family and one that she'd relish for a very long time, her biggest fear on Mederina hadn't been dying it had been the effect her death would have on her family, no-one apart from Evan maybe, knew how close her family were to each other. She was so engrossed in one of her letters that she didn't hear him come in 

"Hello" he said as he tapped her on top of her head

"Wha', oh sorry I was reading this, have you been here long?" she asked

"No, only a couple of minutes talking to myself" he said, Lilah laughed and patted the seat next to her

"What's so good that you ignore me?" he asked as he sat.

"Letters and things from home, Mother's been filming some World War Two Resistance drama in Belgium, hence the chocolate, Father's been in Holland painting canal scenes, hence the beer" she handed a bottle to him "he wants to see some of your work apparently," she said

"Why?" he asked wondering why Simon Stirling would _ever_ want to see anything he'd painted.

"He just wants to see something by you, he said" she hunted through the pile of letters " yes, he said 'You said he was good so I want to have a look'". He blushed a little "Lili's been hunting vampires in the Czech Republic, which reminds me this is for Radek" she picked a bulky padded envelope out of the box and put it on the table. "And Katie's been causing mischief among the Romeo's in Milan and the best bit" she paused "they sent me the new series of Dr Who," she said with a grin.

"About time too, don't let McKay know you've got this or he'll be on your back non stop, he's been waiting for someone from Britain to be sent this, he's been bugging Alex and the chefs for weeks" he said as he switched the TV on. Lilah cracked open two of the beers, tucked her feet up and leaned against him

"Aren't you sick of the sight of me yet?" she asked

"Nah" he said as he put his arm around her.

Somewhere on another plane of existence, smiles were exchanged as another piece slowly began to slot into place.

**FIN**

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**AN:** The end, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed


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